Category Archives: Ideas

Thought for Thursday

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“And what was the true object of this superstitious stuff? A final clue came from “Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention” (1996), in which Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi acknowledges that, far from being an act of individual inspiration, what we call creativity is simply an expression of professional consensus. Using Vincent van Gogh as an example, the author declares that the artist’s “creativity came into being when a sufficient number of art experts felt that his paintings had something important to contribute to the domain of art.” Innovation, that is, exists only when the correctly credentialed hivemind agrees that it does. And “without such a response,” the author continues, “van Gogh would have remained what he was, a disturbed man who painted strange canvases.” What determines “creativity,” in other words, is the very faction it’s supposedly rebelling against: established expertise.”

Taken from Salon, ‘TED talks are lying to you’ by Thomas Frank
(Article originally published in Harper’s)

London’s best places (& spaces) for inspirational thinking

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Further to my post earlier this month about London’s best thinking spaces I’ve been thinking, appropriately, about some further places to think. But it’s become exceedingly obvious that this subject could be split into two or even three distinct parts. My original post was, I suppose, about inspiring places to hold idea generation meetings in London. But I think there’s also a need for places where individuals can think alone – without the need for Post-it notes. And then there are places where individuals might want to think about things that have nothing whatsoever to do with work – spiritual places perhaps.

I’ll get to the last set of places in due course (maybe), but here’s a more comprehensive list for the first two. BTW, if you’re wondering where I’m writing this, the answer is the 41st floor of The Shard, the tallest building in the European Union (image above and entry later on below).

London’s best places to hold inspirational meetings*
The wine cellar at the Stamford Hotel

You might need to like wine for this to work, but if it’s an unusual venue you after for a medium-large dinner this 380-year-old cellar might be it (see image below).

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The material’s library, University College, London, WC1

If you’re a designer and you want to be around inspiring people and materials try this (below) as something a little bit different.

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The solar shuttle on the serpentine, Serpentine Lake, Hyde Park, W2

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Slightly bonkers, but why not hire the whole thing (above) and go for a float on a nice day. Ideas need to be agreed by the time your time runs out.

The rooftop bar at Boundary, 2-4 Boundary Street, E2

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Again, if you want some fresh air to fuel your thinking try this rooftop in Hackney (above).

The rooftop Terrace at Madison, 1 New Change St, St Paul’s, EC4

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And another (above).

The Kensington Roof Gardens, London, W8

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And another…if you’ve got a bigger budget (Kensington roof gardens above)

The Skybar (and private room) at the Gerkin (Searcy’s).

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The top of the Gerkin (above) has some great spaces. I did a catered breakfast talk here for PWC and it worked really well.

Inner Temple Hall, EC4

London’s livery companies are worth a look if you want a sense of history (I’ve spoken at Stationers Hall twice) as is Inner Temple. Temple Hall (below).

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The Shard

See main image at head of this post, but you can hire a variety of spaces in the hotel and the view is just as good as the observation deck.  Hutong, a Chinese restaurant, which is accessed via a separate entrance, also has some good small (8-12 people?) private dining spaces with fantastic views, especially at night (image below).

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Somerset House, London, WC2

More of a big budget venue, but the river terrace is worth consideration, especially in summer. (Image below, Seamen’s hall).

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The ‘business playground’ at Pullman St Pancras station, London N1C

A bit ‘out of the box’ especially the boxes that come with the room (below).

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The Balcony on the 28th Floor at Galvan at the Hilton Park Lane, London W1

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The best view of London…in the 1970s (except for Telecomm Tower, RIP, of course).

Private dining room at Bob Bob Richard, 1 Upper James St, Soho, W1.
Private dining room that’s a cross between the Orient Express (with Agatha Christie on board) and a private yacht that’s gone a bit, well, overboard. Strictly for Russian Oligarchs.

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The Delaunay, Covent Garden, 55, Aldwych, WC2
Another private dining room (below) that feels a bit like a private train carriage from the 1930s. Edge of the City rather than Soho this time.

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Daphne’s, South Kensington, London, SW3.
Yet another private dining room, but this time with light. The roof comes off in summer.

(Daphne’s below)

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The British Museum

The British Museum. How could I not include this? Hire a space or just walk into the Great Court, one of London’s most amasing spaces, by Foster & Partners. (Image below).

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Tate Modern art gallery

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Tate Modern? If it floats your boat. Actually I was part of a London Business School workshop in a hired space here. The room looked out across the Thames and worked out really well. Turbine Hall (above) is great for solo thinking.

Museum of brands

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Something a bit off-beat (above). Perfect for FMCG company brainstorms. You can also just wander around by yourself and work out how old you really are (“OMG, I remember those”).

Kew gardens

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Not much mention of outdoor thinking spaces so far. Just go for a walk, even if there’s twenty of you. Try somewhere busy (the length of Oxford Street perhaps) or somewhere quiet, like a London park. Kew Gardens (above) can be hired for events.

The Gallery at the Imagination building, South Crescent, WC1

This (below) feels a little like something from Star Wars. Bring your own storm troppers.

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Other thoughts for corporate events? Try the ICA, Museum of London, Royal Academy, Wallace Collection and the Wellcome Collection.

London’s best places to inspire individual thinking**

Here’s the second set of locations, although, as you can see, there’s considerable overlap.
British Museum reading room

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(Above British Museum Reading Room…Shhhhh)

The London library, 14, St James’s square, SW1

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(London Library above – you’ll need to join).

The garden of St Dunstan-in-the-East, Idol lane, EC3

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(Garden of St Dunstan above – you may find me here in summer)

Sir John Soane’s museum, London, WC2

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(Soane above – possibly my favourite museum in London).

Dennis Severs house, London, E1

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Dennis Severs House (above). If you need a blast from the past….

The conservatory at the Barbican, Silk Street, London, EC2

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Nobody seems to know about this – possibly because finding the entrance to the Barbican is almost impossible (hint: look for the escalators just off the roundabout. Go see the Museum of London while you are there).

Geffrye Museum walled herb garden, London, E2

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Geffrye Museum (above). A good place to think about anything to do with the home and household goods.

 

Chelsea Physic garden, London, SW3

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(Chelsea Physic – above. Another of London’s hidden gems).

The cake shop at the London Review bookshop, London, WC1A

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Slightly off the radar, but a lovely quiet spot to think.

Smithfield Meat market
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Smithfield (Above, some time ago). Go about 5am when London is waking up. Good for breakfast from about 3am onwards.

Victoria & Albert Museum.

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V&A (above) if you must – never cared for either of them myself.

Design Museum

(Design Museum below. A must for designers seeking inspiration).

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Horniman museum

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Another of my favourite museums above (Alongside the Soane and the Ashmolean in Oxford). The gardens are great too. All built from tea if I remember the story correctly. BTW, nice Buzzfeed link here on amazing London spaces, including Horniman museum.

Waterstone’s bookshop, London, WC1E

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A Shop? Yes. A giant bookshop. I used to have an office a few feet away from here and would wander in aimlessly from time to time. I would often walk out with an idea, largely due to the serendipitous nature of bookshops. (Image above).

Some other ideas (I’m too tired to add more images).

Science Museum

National Portrait Gallery

Dulwich Picture Gallery

Natural History Museum

Albert Bridge to Tower Bridge walk – but try running it.

Running track in in Regent’s Park, London, NW1

Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, EC4

Or Even song at Westminster Abbey
(All getting into category 3 a bit here!)

A few other offbeat places to think…
Highgate Cemetery

Great sunrise spots
(Do sunrise, not sunset…energy is more positive

The natural swimming pond at King’s Cross, London, N1C
Or try the sauna!

Feeding the ducks in St James’s Park, London, SW1. Got kids? Get ducks!

Driving around the entire M25 (try it!)

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By the way, if you’ve found a space but need a speaker, get in touch!

 

* Most of these places will need to be booked well in advance.

** The assumption here is that you’ll wander around in relative silence. If you try to hold a ‘meeting’ you will probably be asked to leave. Many of these spaces do, however, have meeting rooms and other spaces that can be hired.

*** If you’re looking for other restaurants with private rooms I’d suggest you look at Harden’s restaurant guide.

 

 

Idea of the month (folk in a box)

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I’m in love this this idea. Live music in a box. One musician. I audience member. Britain’s smallest live music venue. Apparently some people have come out of it crying due to the intimate nature of the experience. Huge respect to Emily and Dom who came up with the idea and did it. Read more here. If you need something innovative for a party or event throw your money at this. BTW, how about poetry in a box? Or love in a box (blind dates).

Australian version at the Sydney Festival here.

Photo cluster bombs

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What do you do if a violent suspect or terrorist runs around the corner or into a building? You might stick your head around the corner, or into the building, but that could be dangerous. You could call in a UAV surveillance drone, but this could take time. Or you could launch teargas or a grenade in the approximate direction of the suspect, but this could be dangerous not only for the suspect, but for innocent parties.

One solution is something called a ‘photo bomb’ from Bounce Imaging in Boston. This is essentially a small bouncy ball dotted six with digital cameras. All a user need do is press a button and throw it. Images are taken every 1/2 second and are relayed back to suitable portable device. Flash is available via near-infrared lights that are invisible to the eye.

Presumably also rather useful for paparazzi and teenage parties.

Why death and dying are important for creativity

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I have written at length about where people do their ‘best thinking’ and which tools should be used for different types of problem. But there’s one place where people think very clearly indeed, but which is not spoken about very much. A place we all go to at some point in our lives, but a place that was not mentioned by a single one of the hundreds of respondents that helped me with the research for my book Future Minds.

Where – or when – is this place? It’s somewhere Steve Jobs knew all about. A place he faced when he got fired from Apple and visited again when Apple almost went bankrupt. It’s somewhere he mentioned in his famous commencement speech at Stamford.

It’s death and I firmly believe it’s a misunderstood opportunity for individuals and institutions alike. Here’s what Steve had to say about death:

“Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be because death is very likely the single very best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. “

This might all sound a bit morbid, especially since he has now passed away, but it needn’t be. Indeed, facing death doesn’t always mean that you end up dying. It simply means that you are threatened with the end of something, like being fired, failing a really important exam or facing bankruptcy.

It is threats such as these – whether they relate to an individual or an institution – that can result in fresh thinking. A threat of extinction, more often than not, creates a clarity of thought that is so sadly lacking at other times in our lives.

Why would this be so?

I think the answer is connected to why necessity and austerity are the mother and father of invention. Too much time allows us to prevaricate. If we have too much time we will put things off – or allow ourselves to be distracted – by things that appear momentarily urgent rather than universally important.

Things never get done. You are never forced to act.

Similarly, too much money often prevents people from really changing things significantly. If you are loaded up with cash, individually or institutionally, your first priority is often to preserve what you’ve already got. Too much money allows you to do nothing rather than something.

The impulse is preservation not innovation.

Conversely, if you’ve got next to nothing (perhaps you are a young employee not invested in the current corporate hierarchy or a cash-strapped start-up thinking of ways to reach customers without a million dollar marketing budget) you will often think of things that are unusual or unexpected or will try new ideas that older, more established, individuals or institutions will not.

In short, you will think. As Ernest Rutherford, the chemist, and father of nuclear physics once said: “Gentlemen, we haven’t got the money, so we have got to think.”

Urgency, too, creates a sense of focus. If you don’t have long you will think of ways to quickly filter what’s important from what’s not – a bit like the old cliché that says if you want something doing well, give it to someone that’s really busy.

If you are threatened with a crisis you tend to be bolder. If a company is fighting for its survival it sometimes take risks that it wouldn’t usually take. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t, but if you think you are probably history anyway way not give a new idea a go?

So here’s the question.

If you are not facing death how can you create a culture or process that creates a similar level of empowerment and action? How can you create a metaphorical forest fire that gets rid of all the dead wood and creates some space for new growth?

You possibly can’t, although I’m reminded of a technique widely used by an ex-CEO of a multi-national packaged goods company. If a new product development project was going really badly he’d cut the budget in half and shift the deadlines forward by several months.

There’s nothing like a bit of pressure to get the grey matter moving.

Creativity and mood

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I met a head teacher from a primary school in Clevedon (Bristol) a while ago and we got talking about one of my favourite subjects, namely where people do their best thinking. I mentioned some of the usual suspects that I featured in my new book Future Minds – cathedrals, airplane windows, beaches, mountains, baths, showers, bed and so on.

I said that I felt that places such as these change how people think. Wrong he said. They change how people feel, which in turn changes how they think.

At the time I thought that this was an argument about semantics, but listening to a Ben Folds song this morning I’ve changed my mind. He is totally right.

Certain physical or aural environments (music is very good) do indeed change our mood, which in turn changes how we think or, more specifically, what we think about. The best word I can think of is elevate. Our thinking us pushed upwards to matters of importance.

Of course, one of the key questions, if you are trying to think about important things, is whether you should tap into positive or negative moods? I remember some research a while ago that said that people in good moods have good ideas. Personally, it’s the other way around. I don’t mean that depression feeds creativity (although in some people it does) but that a melancholy mood can spark some interesting ideas .

There are plenty of people talking about process when it comes to sparking creativity in organizations. A few people talk about environments too. Who is talking about the linkage between mood and creativity or innovation?

From the internet to wine and ideas

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I was struggling with The Future of the Internet last night (it’s a book) so I returned to Liquid Memory: Why Wine Matters by Jonathan Nossiter. The start of this is tedious, but once he gets going it’s great. I especially like the thought that Robert Parker (The American wine critic) has replaced one kind of tyranny with another in Bordeaux. What matters now is sweet, alcoholic, overly ripe and generally infantile wines.

Anyway, point of this is he has a nice line in the book, which relates to innovation and scenario planning (keep with me on this it’s worth it). He says that: “No idea exists until it is verbalized. If an idea is badly verbalized it continues not to exist.”

That’s why how people describe new products, services or scenarios is so vitally important. Indeed this is why the naming of a scenario is so critical.

Hybrid networks (why we all need to get to know somebody we don’t know)

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According to Ronald Burt, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, there are “structural holes” inside organisations. For example, a study by Mr Burt inside Raytheon (a defence company) found that not only did those managers with wider social networks come up with the best ideas but also that people who talked to close colleagues about their ideas tended not to develop their ideas whereas those that went outside work for a discussion tended to get much further. In other words, homogeneity kills creativity at some level whereas serendipity encourages it. This makes perfect sense to me although perhaps someone should tell those individuals frantically widening their social networks on sites such as Facebook and Linked in because Burt’s observation suggests that such networks tend towards more of the same. Sites such as these seem to be predicated upon the belief that the more people you know the better off (in all senses) you will be. But these sites inevitably attract like-minded individuals and information and experience tends to narrow. Mr Burt is not against social networks as far as I can tell but be does seem to be saying that one should pursue hybrid networks that have no apparent social structure.